


El Soldado del Invierno

by allison_rhianne_kent88



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bisexual Bucky Barnes, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Cuba, Friends to Lovers, Get Together, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Recovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 03:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11221986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allison_rhianne_kent88/pseuds/allison_rhianne_kent88
Summary: " “Effective immediately,” Trump began, “I am canceling the last administration's completely one-sided deal with Cuba.”“Joder.” Bucky breathed quietly. As the broadcast continued, Steve watched his friend slip into the strange, quietly intense headspace of memory. "Lately, Bucky had figured he had everything back. Any missing years were likely just years asleep. He didn't have documentation of all of his missions, but he was pretty sure he remembered them all post-cryo and was working through them (quite well if he does say so himself). Nevertheless, one news broadcast has him dredging up a forgotten mission and facts about himself he must rediscover.





	El Soldado del Invierno

With the spryness of his thirty-some biological years, Steve Rogers swung over the back of the couch and landed heavily on the cushions with limbs akimbo and a contented sigh. Reclining back, he rolled his head casually to the right to address the man beside him.

“What’s up, Buck?” he asked.

Bucky Barnes, who had not so much as flinched from his best friend’s disruptive entrance, pulled the blond’s feet into his lap and continued watching the TV attentively. “The news.” he replied.

“Anything good?”

“Well, they’re about to talk about Trump, so I’m gonna go with no.” Bucky drawled, but the hardness behind his eyes gave away his worry. The whole President Trump thing was not going so well for the former Winter Soldier—or for Captain America either. Too many memories of populism gone wrong plagued Barnes’s past for his comfort. As Judy Woodruff introduced the next segment, Steve felt his companion go still. It wasn’t the stillness of the Winter Soldier, but it unnerved him nonetheless. Steve switched his attention to the screen. He tuned in just in time to watch the presidential recording. “Effective immediately,” Trump began, “I am canceling the last administration's completely one-sided deal with Cuba.”

“ _Joder.”_ Bucky breathed quietly. As the broadcast continued, Steve watched his friend slip into the strange, quietly intense headspace of memory. He knew not to interrupt, but the curiosity always kept him on edge until Bucky revealed his rediscoveries. Once the segment on Cuba ended, Steve reached for the remote on the coffee table and shut off the TV. He waited in the quiet for Bucky to mentally return.

***

_“Soldado,” The short man facing the cryo tube addressed him. The asset attributed the unusual rate of defrost to the unquestionably warmer climate hanging in the air. Behind the man who spoke stood two white men sweating profusely in their uniforms. The asset registered their weakness as each bead of perspiration trickled from their temples, but the Latino man standing closest showed no discomfort; he was a local, then._ _The asset would not be free just yet._

_“Soldado,” the man repeated. The asset looked up from his slightly reclined position to meet the man’s eyes. He recognized his title, but the language and accent did not register as familiar. He addressed the background men, assuming they had a better chance of communicating with him properly. “_ Я готов отвечать.” _As he said, he was ready to comply until a better opportunity appeared, but a man without one of his languages was an impossible candidate for a handler._

_“Soldat,” One of the men of the background barked, continuing in the asset’s preferred Russian, “_ это—”

_“You lie!” The Latino man interrupted in heavily accented English. “To me you say he understands Spanish, but it is not the case, obviously. I do not have time to teach a beast a language, and I prefer that we do not speak in the language of the capitalists!”_

_“He will understand.” The second observer explained, “The asset has not yet been conditioned.” At this statement, the asset’s nostril’s flared. “This is the first time we have brought the asset to your corner of the world. You should be grateful we have agreed to this loan.”_

_“I will be grateful when the asset succeeds.”_

_The tube jolted forward as an unseen individual wheeled it into the next room. The asset set his sights on the chair and completed a final cursory glance for a window of opportunity. Unfortunately, a land with an unknown language gave little promise. The asset would complete another mission, he reasoned to himself as his still-weak body was manhandled into The Chair. The asset would complete another mission and hopefully wake soon with better prospects. He clamped onto the leather bite guard in his mouth and prepared for conditioning._

***

On the couch, Bucky flinched.

Steve watched as Bucky’s mind reoriented into the living room. After a brief pause, Bucky spoke, not facing the blond, “Did you know I speak Spanish?”

Steve, cautious of the question, responded calmly, “No, I didn’t.”

“Well, I do.” The brunet responded breathily. “I most certainly do.”

After several seconds, Steve took the plunge. “Cuba?”

“Cuba.” Bucky affirmed. A few beats passed. Steve heard the heater _woosh_ to life, filling the room with a quiet hum.

Bucky looked over at Steve for the first time since the captain had entered the room. “In all this recovery time,” he said with confusion, “nothing ever reminded me of this. I had always assumed I had just been asleep during that time. How did I never hear Spanish? I mean it’s not exactly big in Wakanda, but since we got back you’d think I would’ve heard at least some.”

“I don’t know, Buck.” Steve shrugged. “We spend a lot of time at home, and our neighborhood leans a little more Russian in terms of immigrants. I guess you just weren’t exposed to it.”

“Yeah.” The former assassin seemed unimpressed.

Minutes passed in silence.

“Can I touch you?” Steve eventually asked tentatively.

“You mean beyond your smelly feet?” Bucky’s lips split into a smile that slowly grew into his signature grin as he grounded himself in this reality.

“Hey! Who you calling smelly?” The blond played mock offense.

“Get over here, you big lump!” Bucky hauled his friend into his side with his recently refurbished metal arm, and Steve squawked as he fell into the assassin’s ribs. He gathered his dignity and arranged himself into a better sitting position with Bucky’s arm around his shoulder. He rested his head just above the other man’s heart. The two of them had always been tactile, but ever since a Wakandan therapist suggested using touch to ground Bucky in the world outside of his own memory, the two of them physically connected more often than ever.

“Wanna just sleep here?” Steve inquired.

“Stevie, it’s like seven p.m.” The brunet chuckled.

“So? I’m tired. You’re tired. Let’s get some rest.” As if to punctuate his sentence, Steve broke into a yawn.

“Alright, alright.” Bucky leaned back into the couch cushions. He listened as Steve’s breaths slowed and deepened. Soon, the supersoldier lay sleeping against the assassin’s chest, but Bucky did not sleep, at least not yet. His eyes remained open yet unseeing as he forced himself to recall what he could of Cuba.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments/kudos if you'd like to see this story continue! I love hearing from readers!


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